Psychiatric experts reported that the convicted woman exhibited an identity crisis and symptoms of post-traumatic stress, consequences of her time in areas of jihadist conflict; However, they ruled out that these conditions affected their ability to distinguish between good and evil. Based on these reports, the Paris criminal court rejected defense arguments about mental limitations when assessing the sentence against the French citizen identified as “Lucie C.,” 38, who was repatriated from Syria in 2022 and charged with integration into a cell linked to the Islamic State. In addition to eight years in prison, the sentence also included five additional years of health control and judicial supervision, explained Le Figaro.
According to the Le Figaro publication, the trial of “Lucie C.” It is related to the repatriation and prosecution of French citizens who remained in areas under jihadist control. The case was dealt with as part of a French national strategy aimed at reducing the risk of recidivism by combining criminal and health measures and intensifying follow-up care after serving a prison sentence. This policy is in response to concerns about the danger posed by those who have joined groups such as the Islamic State and have actively participated in extremist cells.
During the trial, the defendant recounted her move to Syria in 2014 with part of her family and her subsequent life in Raqqa, which was then controlled by the Islamic State. According to the files and witness statements presented in court, the defendant formalized her integration into the organization through an oath of loyalty and gradually participated in the daily and operational activities of the group. The judicial summary gathered evidence about his alleged wearing of an explosive belt as well as his involvement in organizing attacks, Le Figaro reported.
The last stop of his stay in Syria was Baghuz, the last enclave of the Islamic State, which was under siege by the Syrian Democratic Forces with international support. Witnesses quoted by the aforementioned media reported that the defendant expressed her willingness to die during the siege rather than surrender, an element that influenced the court’s assessment of her level of danger.
After returning to France, “Lucie C.” He admitted in court that he had turned away from jihadist ideology and attributed his radicalization to personal and family factors as well as previous violent situations. However, the judges placed emphasis on the strength of the evidence regarding his active involvement in the cell and the continuity of his illegal activities. For this reason, the punishment is a combination of prison and prolonged supervision, Le Figaro reported.
France has extended the combination of prison, surveillance and health checks to other similar cases, a policy that was tightened following the return of at least 16 French women from camps in Syria in 2022, leading to systematic trials on suspicion of membership or collaboration with terrorist networks, as Le Figaro details. In all proceedings, the French judicial system has applied criminal sanctions, followed by medical intervention and surveillance, recognizing in many cases the coexistence of psychiatric illnesses related to the experience of terrorism scenarios.
French media added that both the Kurdish authorities and the Syrian Democratic Forces had called on European countries, including France, to accept their citizens repatriated from camps such as Al Hol, which are home to thousands of people of different nationalities with a history of or suspected jihadist ties. France has followed a strict judicial procedure, subject to the security conditions and the evolution of the risks involved.
According to Le Figaro, the national strategy has been adapted with comprehensive control mechanisms that include criminal sanctions, special health measures and an expanded surveillance system, in line with the reactions of other European countries in the face of the growing presence of French returnees from Syria and Iraq. In more recent files, the obligation to provide medical care, particularly in the psychological or psychiatric area, is based on the recurring diagnosis of traumatic and radicalization-related conditions.
The approach to the “Lucie C.” case is, according to Le Figaro’s reporting, representative of the legal, health and social challenges posed by the return of former combatants and participants in extremist organizations. The sentences also include the inclusion of the convicts in de-radicalization and integration programs in French society. These measures aim to channel returns, minimize security threats and limit the possibility of recidivism, as documented by judicial authorities and authorities consulted by the above-mentioned media.
The development of these control protocols, supervised by the French justice and health administration, is a response to a policy of containment in the face of the risks stemming from the jihadist experience, a policy that has been consolidated in all states of the European Union where returns from conflict scenarios continue to increase. Le Figaro appears as the main source of information about the case and the context in which this trial is taking place in France.
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